Writing The Cowboy Charm was cathartic for me. What I didn’t expect was that it would be so much fun. I had had a couple of tough years struggling with the combination that I think so many of us go through at some point—balancing taking care of my mom’s declining health with launching my kids who were both in college but not far from my mind, while still trying to build my career and emotionally support my husband whose career was in a market flux. I was at a writing retreat—planning out book two in my Coyote Cowboys of Montana series (having written books one and three and starting to think about book four) and my friend Jane Porter said ‘write what you’re dealing with—make it work for you.’

So I did. I didn’t want The Cowboy Charm to be dark. I wanted it to be realistic and explore a valley in life, and yet focus on walking up the next hill. There will inevitably be times when we are grieving the loss of a loved one, a job, a friend, the future or opportunity we thought we’d have, and yet, if we keep going forward, acknowledging the loss or disappointment, we will find a shaft of light and a door opening.

When an author has a slightly heavier theme or a hero or heroine who is struggling, it’s important to find the light and laughter, and so Ryder Lea was born. I love my soldier/cowboy. He could be bitter or angry or shut down, but he’s not at all. He’s mister all in, hand raised, I got this. Usually in a group, that’s me, so in a way I was putting pieces of myself in a hero—not something I feel like I’ve done before. And yet he’s so much more—physical, eager, loyal and goal oriented. Totally ‘a dish’—something my grandma used to say, although I am not sure what meal he would be—lasagna comes to mind (because I love it and it’s tasty). 

The story is set—of course—in my favorite town of Marietta, Montana. In January. Brrrrrr, but Ryder brings the heat and sunlight and ‘can do’ attitude. Funny secret about that (shshshsh). I chose his last name—Lea—because it’s the last name of my niece, Reeva’s husband, John. Before I met John, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law kept saying he was a ‘can do guy.’ That’s all they’d say about him. Over and over, and other people who met him in the family said the same thing. Nothing else. And my husband and I just thought that was hilarious—like all the Sawhney’s were brainwashed (or non verbal).  We just had so much fun playing with that concept, and of course our daughter—16 at the time John and Reeva were getting married in a ginormous slap down Indian wedding (featured in my Misguided Masala Matchmaker series) joined in on the fun.

But, just like John (I can think of dozens of fabulous adjectives for), Ryder is so much more than ‘can-do,’ and he and Edison, my heroine, complement each other. He warms and heals her, and she in turn boosts him up as she sees all of his goodness and possibility. I loved the challenge of taking two characters who’d had some tragedies in their lives, but were determined to keep living, meet in improbable circumstances in the dead middle of winter, and yet find such joy and hope and of course an HEA that even made me cry a little. 

Hope you enjoy! Interested in more? Find me at https://sinclairjayne.com and sign up for my newsletter! Also, as a thank you for reading this, one lucky person picked from the comments on this post, will win a signed print copy of The Cowboy Charm and some Marietta and Sinclair Jayne swag!

About the Author.

Sinclair Sawhney is a former journalist and middle school teacher who holds a BA in Political Science and K-8 teaching certificate from the University of California, Irvine and a MS in Education with an emphasis in teaching writing from the University of Washington. She has worked as Senior Editor with Tule Publishing for over seven years. Writing as Sinclair Jayne she’s published fifteen short contemporary romances with Tule Publishing with another four books being released in 2021. Married for over twenty-four years, she has two children, and when she isn’t writing or editing, she and her husband, Deepak, are hosting wine tastings of their pinot noir and pinot noir rose at their vineyard Roshni, which is a Hindi word for light-filled, located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Shaandaar!